


my heart hurts so good

by stormss



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Found Family, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, One Shot Collection, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 16,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormss/pseuds/stormss
Summary: Quiet moments of physical affection.*A one shot collection, all prompted fromthis list.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Marjan Marwani & TK Strand, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 174
Kudos: 322
Collections: 9-1-1 Lone Star ▶ Carlos Reyes / Tyler Kennedy "TK" Strand





	1. #11: back hugs

**Author's Note:**

> so i came across this [prompt list](https://reyesstrand.tumblr.com/post/639232587220549632/physical-affection-prompts/) on tumblr, and figured it'd be perfect to help me work through some writer's block. come say hi or send me a prompt on [tumblr!](https://reyesstrand.tumblr.com/)
> 
> the title comes from _ilysb_ by lany!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@letitialewiss](https://letitialewiss.tumblr.com/) who said: _#11 for tarlos🥺._ i hope you enjoy, kim!! 💗

He's been restlessly tossing and turning for close to an hour when the storm starts. 

TK finds comfort in the sound of rain pelting against the window—it's been that way since he was a kid, and he was missing his dad when he worked overnight shifts or his mom when she travelled on business, and the rumble of a light thunderstorm would lull him to sleep better than any tea blend or natural remedy both of his parents seemed to believe in. Even now, with the memories of a day full of hard calls seemingly creeping up his spine, TK blinks through the burn of his eyes and watches as lightning envelops the room in a bright flash of white. 

He can't stop seeing it, is the thing. Every time he closes his eyes there it is: the little girl going limp in his arms as he held her in the back of the ambulance, Marjan sitting next to him with the other child they pulled from the fire in her lap. Nancy and Tim had jumped into action when TK's voice steadily climbed in volume as he tried to wake her, eventually passing her over so they could start CPR. There had been a sense of finality when they pulled up to the hospital, Marjan's hand on his shoulder the only thing keeping him standing, as the stretcher disappeared into the building. 

TK's brought back into the moment with another loud crack of thunder, and he sighs to himself.

He hadn't wanted to admit defeat when he'd curled up next to Carlos, who'd only stirred briefly with the dip of the mattress under TK's weight when he'd slipped into the room past midnight. He’d quickly fallen back asleep, though, and TK was momentarily jealous of his ability to just be out like a light whenever and wherever he is. He's still getting used to maneuvering around in Carlos' room at night, even though several months of a solid relationship has resulted in TK having his own drawer at Carlos' place. He stays with his boyfriend more often than not, and usually he loves it—he loves cuddling up close and seeping all the heat from the other man; he loves waking up to Carlos' unruly curls and the soft look he always points at TK. But tonight it's just something else to consider as he grabs a shirt and creeps out of the room, as he moves quietly to avoid waking his boyfriend up. The last thing he wants is for Carlos to suffer from his own restlessness. 

Closing the bedroom door behind him, TK winces when it creaks before it latches, before he slowly backs away from the room and pulls his well-worn AFD shirt over his head. He rubs a hand down his face as retreats toward the kitchen, the window over the sink letting in the occasional flash of light as the storm brews. There's a moment where he hesitates, until he remembers the way Carlos had told him again and again that he wanted TK to feel at home, here, and so he continues on—grabbing the kettle and setting it on the stovetop, before digging through the cabinet, moving past several rows of spices and herbs to find the box of tea he'd brought over once a month or two ago. It's a cheap multipack, but there's still a couple bags of chamomile, and TK grabs one, putting it and the Scooby Doo mug he'd stolen from the firehouse on the counter while he waits. 

The house feels still around him, in the middle of the night like this. The time on the microwave blinks back at him— _2:04—_ and TK feels complete and total exhaustion in every part of his aching body. He loves his job, and doesn't regret choosing this life and this family, but sometimes it's impossible to escape the feeling that he could be doing _more;_ it's impossible to not feel like a failure for saving three people but not being able to do anything about the five-year-old girl who'd inhaled too much smoke by the time they got to her. 

He drops one hand to the cool countertop, and stares out the window. Raindrops create little rivulets as they trail down the pane of glass, and with another bright flash of lightning and rumble of thunder, TK loses himself to the melody of the storm, the soothing repetition of it. 

As the rain starts coming down heavier, he thinks of the mess the alternate crew is probably dealing with, and isn't expecting it when he feels arms wrap around his waist. 

TK lets out a small sigh without even being conscious of it, sinking into the hold. He feels completely enveloped in Carlos—his citrusy and woodsy scent, the weight of his arms curled around him, the press of lips to his nape. 

"Ty," Carlos murmurs, mostly into his hair, and TK makes a vague noise, deep in his chest. "Hey, you okay? Did something happen?" 

Instead of directly answering, TK lets the question sit in the air for a moment. Shifting the direction of the conversation, TK whispers: "Have I told you how much I love you recently?" 

"Doesn't hurt to hear it again," Carlos replies, hooking his chin over TK's shoulder. 

TK hums, and lets Carlos pull him even closer, tightening the hold he has around his middle. Quietly, he says, "Well, I love you. So fucking much." 

"I love you, too, Ty," Carlos says without hesitation, and TK feels warmth spread through his body. He knows how badly Carlos wants to get him to talk about it, but he won't push. Not yet.

They just slightly sway, embraced in the hug, until the kettle starts whistling. Carlos lets him go, then, and TK wordlessly moves across the kitchen; he blindly grabs another mug from the cabinet and drops a teabag in each, carefully pouring the boiling water. 

"Baby," Carlos finally looks at him, head-on, once TK's passed him his tea. TK meets his eyes and finds nothing but love tinged with worry. Like always, Carlos has a way of reading him like an open book. "Talk to me?" 

"It's just—" TK hesitates, violently dunking his tea bag. He leans back against the counter, body turned toward his boyfriend. "We lost someone today. She—she basically died in my arms, Carlos, and I can't stop thinking about how we could've saved her." 

Carlos' face drops. "I'm so sorry, Ty."

There's a beat, and TK bites on the inside of his cheek. He cocks an eyebrow at his boyfriend, prodding him to continue. "But _..._ " 

" _But,"_ Carlos says quietly, eyes practically seeing right through to his soul. "You can't put that pressure on yourself. You did everything you could."

"I know," TK rubs at the back of his neck, his eyes starting to burn again. "And I know I just need time. You know how it is though. I just—I see her every time I close my eyes." 

He admits it in a voice barely above a whisper, staring down at the floor.

The warmth he leeches from the mug feels nice against his palms, but it's nothing like a Carlos Reyes hug, and his boyfriend seems to telepathically catch onto that, as they move in unison; both of them put their tea down on the counter and step into each other's space, TK throwing his arm around Carlos' shoulders. He drops his head to Carlos' neck, and feels his boyfriend's hands on the small of his back, rubbing soothing circles. He's just—he's so _tired,_ he doesn't even think he has tears to shed. 

"C'mon," Carlos whispers, turning his head slightly to press a kiss to TK's temple. It takes him a few moments to realize they're moving, and they make it back to the bedroom. With them repositioned on the bed, Carlos laying on his back and TK keeping his face tucked into his neck, leg thrown over Carlos' thighs, he gets a kiss to his forehead. "Get some rest, okay? We'll deal with everything in the morning." 

There's a few more whispered promises— _I'm here_ and _I'm not going anywhere, Ty—_ and TK finally lets himself be consumed by his exhaustion. TK kisses Carlos' throat, and murmurs _I love you_ into the skin there. And with the rain maintaining a steady beat against the window and Carlos' heart thrumming under his palm, he knows that at least he gets this, and it's something he'll never give up on. 


	2. #24: confusing a handshake for a fist bump

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [ @simplykelc](https://simplykelc.tumblr.com/) who said: _24 for Carlos & Judd pls!?!?!_ i have to say, writing this dynamic was really fun! i hope you enjoy!!

Carlos takes a deep breath as he slows the Camaro to a crawl. 

The big and bold _Engine 126_ over the open bay door of the firehouse is like a beacon, and with every passing second Carlos feels himself growing both calmer and excited at the prospect of spending the evening with his boyfriend and the crew. A few other cars are already parked along the outside of the station, the sun slowly slinking down past the horizon and leaving streaks of orange in its wake. He sighs happily to himself upon hearing the faintest beats of music spilling out into the street, strolling toward the bay as his thumbs move across the screen of his phone, texting TK that he’s arrived. 

The firehouse has started feeling like home over the past few months, as he’s been included in more gatherings. He feels like he’s part of the family, and it’s only affirmed when he hears his name in a familiar voice, and he grins as he looks over his shoulder and sees Grace locking up her car from across the lot. 

“Hey beautiful,” he says, immediately wrapping her up in a hug when she approaches. 

“Always the flatterer,” she jokes, squeezing him tight in return.

“You know how it is,” Carlos grins at her, eventually moving to sling his arm through hers as they move deeper into the bay. The music is louder, now, and they follow it and the smell of what can only be Paul’s cooking and the muffled conversation up the stairs. 

These gatherings have become a sort of tradition of late, celebrating life in general with an occasional birthday or successful run of calls thrown in there. This one is much more laid-back; there are big plates of food waiting to be devoured on the kitchen island, but everyone is mostly just mingling. 

Carlos immediately finds TK in the crowd, as he chats animatedly with Marjan and Nancy over by the sectional, where all of them are seemingly fawning over Buttercup. Grace must be aware of his distraction, because she hugs him close to her side for a moment before stepping away. 

“I’ll let you go see him, sweetheart,” Grace says, eyes warm. “I should go find my husband, anyway.” 

He nudges her gently with his shoulder before beelining for his boyfriend, who looks over and meets his eyes. TK winks at him and gets to his feet, murmuring something to Marjan and Nancy before strolling over to meet Carlos halfway, his hands behind his back in his typical coy stance.

“Fancy seeing you here,” TK grins, once they’re close enough. He shifts his head to the side and Carlos can’t help but to feel his heart swell, taking in the way that TK’s eyes crinkle at the corners and his mouth curves up into a smile that’s always soft and reserved just for moments like these. 

Carlos hums, smiling himself as he reaches out to casually lay a hand on TK’s hip. He speaks under his breath and through a smile: “How are you?” 

“Oh, well,” TK glances around the room, stepping forward slightly. His smile widens when he meets Carlos’ eyes again. “Better now.” 

“Really,” Carlos grins, and TK nods, closing the gap between them with a flash of mischief in his eyes. 

The kiss is brief and casual—something Carlos couldn’t imagine when thinking back on their relationship mere months ago, when everything was fuelled by desperate want. They’re smiling like idiots when they pull apart, but Carlos still stays put where he always wants to be: in TK’s space, watching him smile back at him. 

“Am I interrupting something?” 

TK huffs a little, and glances over to where Judd gently looms over them both. 

“Your old man wants to see you,” Judd says, and TK snorts. 

“You know, I’d love to see you call him that to his face,” TK cocks a brow at him, before sighing and clapping Judd on the shoulder. He drops his voice and says, “play nice with him,” briefly squeezing Carlos’ hand and then stalking off toward the other side of the room. 

Carlos freezes momentarily, which is kind of silly, really, because. 

Well. 

He’s known Judd longer than he’s known TK; ever since he was a rookie still getting used to the chaos of an active emergency. Hell, Judd was one of the first people to reach out to him when he was still getting a hang of things. But for whatever reason, the pressure of seeing him now as his boyfriend’s big brother has him feeling awkward. 

And it’s evident that Judd’s feeling it too, because they’re both quiet for a few seconds that seemingly stretch on for eons, and Carlos finally reaches out his hand, for Judd to respond with his _fist._ Carlos winces as his fingers fold over Judd’s knuckles, awkwardly bringing his hand back and looking anywhere _but_ Judd's eyes. 

“Right, so,” Judd retracts his fist and pushes it into his other palm, running his thumb over the back of his hand. “I just wanted to—”

Carlos can’t help but to cut in. “Judd, if this is about respecting TK’s boundaries, or whatever, I have no intention of—”

“Oh no, brother, I—” Judd sighs, and rubs the back of his neck. “I just wanted to tell you how happy we are for you guys. Grace is telling me it’s important that I...communicate my emotions, or whatever, and TK means a whole lot to me. To us, y’know? And you make him happy.” 

Carlos feels his face go warm. 

“Um, well,” Carlos stuffs his hands in his pockets, glancing over to where TK is very obviously keeping an eye on the two of them, disguising his actions by pouring pretzel sticks into a bowl. “Thanks? He makes me happy too.” 

“ _That’s_ obvious from a mile away, kid,” Judd smirks, and Carlos rolls his eyes. “Seriously, we’ve got your backs.”

“Thanks, man,” Carlos says earnestly, feeling the air shift around him as TK sidles up to him again. He drops his arm over TK’s shoulders, and he immediately reaches up to grab at Carlos’ hand that brushes against his slowly fading gunshot scar.

“I knew you were a big softie,” TK teases, as Judd grumbles under his breath before reaching over to ruffle up TK’s hair. 

When Judd heads back off toward Grace, after a successful fist bump with Carlos, TK links their fingers together. 

“All good?” He asks, and Carlos’ heart surges as he presses a kiss to his boyfriend’s temple. 

It’s the deepest truth when he murmurs back, “couldn’t be better.”


	3. #22: kissing someone's cuts/bruises/scratches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@marjansmarwani](https://marjansmarwani.tumblr.com/) who said: _may I request 22 for the prompts?_ and [@officereyes](https://officereyes.tumblr.com/) who said: _22 on the physical affection prompts (if it hasn't already been requested) 🥰_ i hope you both enjoy and thank you for the prompts!! <3

Looking down at the spread before him now, TK’s pretty sure his past self would be beyond impressed with his improvement in the culinary world. 

He hums along under his breath to Frank Ocean blasting from his phone, chopping vegetables with confidence, glancing occasionally at the clock on the oven. He figures Carlos will be home around seven, and tries to mentally plan out when he has to put the chicken on to have dinner on the table for him by the time he comes through their front door. TK thrills a little at the thought of surprising him with a meal like this, especially when they usually resort to takeout on nights where they’re both coming off the tail-end of long shifts. 

TK’s so lost in his thoughts that when the music stalls, his phone instead starting to vibrate against the countertop with an incoming call, he nicks the tip of his finger with the knife. 

“Shit,” he murmurs, bringing his index finger to his mouth. At the same time, he grabs for his phone, barely acknowledging Marjan’s contact name on the screen before he answers. “Hello?” 

“TK, hey,” Marjan says, and his stomach drops immediately when he hears the tone of her voice. 

“Marj? Is everything okay?” TK asks, leaning back against the counter, heartbeat pounding in his ears. 

Instead of answering, she asks: “Where are you right now?” 

“Home,” TK states, though he feels himself growing antsier by the second. “Marjan, just fucking _tell me—”_

_“_ I’m coming to you, meet me outside,” she says, uttering the worst possible words before she hangs up: “Carlos is in the hospital.” 

* * *

The ride to Mercy Hospital is the longest twenty minutes of TK’s life. 

“Why didn’t he call me?” TK asks, unable to keep his eyes off his phone as he rapidly texts the seemingly never-ending thread between himself and his husband, to no avail. He groans and runs a shaky hand through his hair, his foot-tapping growing quicker by the second. 

“You know, this is why I was a good friend and picked you up,” Marjan says, slowing the car to a stop as they hit _another_ red light. “You’re freaking out.” 

“Of course I’m freaking out,” TK half-whines, pinching the bridge of his nose. He can’t help but to twirl his wedding band around his finger, a nervous tick he’s grown accustomed to since they were married six months ago and he got used to the weight of the ring on his hand.

Marjan glances at him, reaching out to squeeze his forearm. “Hey, Michelle’s with him. She says he’s okay, so he’s okay. You have to believe that.” 

“I just—” TK stares down at his hands, clasped together so tightly his knuckles have gone white. “I hate seeing him get hurt. I hate not being able to do anything about it.” 

“I know,” Marjan whispers, eyes shining when she meets his briefly, before turning her attention back to the road. 

They’re quiet the rest of the drive over, until they’re finally in the parking lot and then half-jog into the emergency department which is, of course, packed. TK’s about to run up to the nurse’s desk and beg for information on Carlos when Marjan tugs on his sleeve and points out Michelle waiting for them. She waves them over immediately, her wrist in a tension bandage, and before they can question her she starts leading them back to Carlos’ room. 

“What happened?” TK asks, voice barely above a whisper. Michelle slings her arm over his shoulders and pulls him close. 

“Car accident—” she starts, only for TK to make a noise. She reassures him with a levelling look, continuing on. “Jut a small one, and nobody was seriously hurt. He—he was giving me a lift home.” 

“Which explains your wrist,” he says, to which she shrugs and nods. 

“He only got some cuts,” she gestures around her own eye and forehead, stopping in front of a door that he can only assume is Carlos’ room. “And uh, a fractured rib.” 

TK’s eyes squeeze shut. 

“They’re sending him home tonight, TK,” she assures him, eyes gentle. He feels Marjan at his side, and he glances over to her. When she nods, he opens the door, taking in the sight before him.

Carlos lays on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, his arm thrown over his stomach with his fingers spread over what TK assumes is his injured ribcage. When Carlos glances over and meets his gaze, TK spots the cuts and scrapes curling around the entirety of his right face—around his eye and over his temple and even near the top of the bridge of his nose.

“Baby,” TK starts, rushing over to his husband’s side. He avoids the chair and instead hovers over Carlos, not even sure where to touch without hurting him. His fingers flex in the air, before he finally settles for his husband’s shoulder, moving down to grasp his hand. 

“Hey, Ty,” Carlos says, linking their fingers together. He tries to hide his pain, but TK catches the faintest wince as he shifts to look at him. 

“No, no, stay put,” TK uses the tiniest bit of weight against his shoulder to keep him down. Carlos frowns, but settles in against the pillows nonetheless 

“The tables have turned, huh,” Carlos murmurs, his beautiful eyes roaming over TK’s face. Shaking his head, TK feels his shoulders sag, tension pooling out of him with every moment he sees that his husband is going to be okay. 

“Don’t remind me,” TK warns, finally dropping down to the free space on the stiff hospital bed he’s unfortunately all-too familiar with, careful as he settles next to Carlos. “Lemme see.” 

“Ty—”

“Don’t _Ty_ me,” TK murmurs, gently curving his hand against Carlos’ jaw, tilting his face toward him. He drags his thumb along his cheekbone, watching Carlos’ eyes slowly close with the soft touch.

Carefully, he ducks down and kisses along the line of superficial cuts and scrapes decorating his husband’s face. He feels Carlos’ curl his fingers around his hand, thumb gently stroking along the inside of his wrist. 

“I’ll be okay, baby,” Carlos whispers, able to read his mind like always. TK hums, and places one last lingering kiss against his husband’s temple before settling back against the pillow, their shoulders brushing. He still feels Carlos’ fingers linked through his, and he leans his head against his husband’s for a sobering moment. “Hey, what’s this from?” 

TK blinks open his eyes and finds that Carlos’ has pulled his hand closer for inspection, staring down at the hastily bandaged finger he’d nicked with the knife earlier. With all the adrenaline and worry, TK had barely enough thought to tape it up, doing an admittedly shitty job of it. 

“Oh, I was uh, I was cooking,” TK says, and Carlos snorts. “ _Hey_ , I was doing great until Marjan called me.” 

Carlos hums, and pulls TK’s hand closer so he can place a kiss over his knuckle, close to the bandage. “I’m sorry. I should’ve—I should’ve called you right away, I just didn’t want you to worry.” 

“It’s okay,” TK whispers, because it’s the truth. He knows how prone he is to danger, and how much he hates worrying Carlos, almost as much as he hates seeing him in pain.

“We’re together now, and you’re coming home. That’s all that matters.” 

Carlos makes a soft noise, and kisses the back of his hand again, before turning to kiss TK’s temple, breathing in deep. Michelle and Marjan knock before coming in, and Carlos smiles at the sight of them and TK—well, he just smiles at his husband, and squeezes his hand, promising in his mind to never let go. 


	4. #9: wiping away someone's tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@trevorvanriemsdyk](https://trevorvanriemsdyk.tumblr.com/) who said: _#9 for Tarlos please 🥰_ thank you for the prompt, i hope you enjoy!!
> 
> ((tw: minor description of blood/injuries caused by a car accident))

Ever since he was a kid, he knew that it was hard to leave some calls at the scene.

Sometimes they lingered on the trip back to the firehouse, where a silence fell over the whole crew as nothing but dead air passed between their headsets. Other times, they dug in deeper, as if they were physical things with claws and teeth, refusing to be shaken off until something worse occupied their minds. He saw it enough with his dad when he was still a little too young to understand why he had to work such long hours; he saw it when the towers fell, and it was like he had to grow up overnight, practically set aflame at the thought that he could’ve lost his dad, like other kids lost their parents in a single moment.

TK doesn’t let that stop him from giving his all, though, even if that means he becomes too personally wedged into rescues.

It seems like it’s going to be a standard day, when they get the call from dispatch about a motor vehicle accident. The rest of the team seems to think the same thing—given the fact that they seemingly have no qualms about pushing him for the juicy details on his date night last night, only spurred on by the fact that Carlos had picked him up at the station yesterday afternoon and dropped him back off this morning.

“Come on, aren’t we supposed to be professionals here?” TK says, though he can barely get it out without smiling.

Immediately, voices erupt around him through his headset, all of them essentially calling his bullshit. Marjan smacks him in the shoulder. 

“Hey!” TK laughs, nudging her in the side with his elbow in retaliation. 

“If you spilled the details, maybe I’ll go easy on you,” Marjan says, cocking a brow, and TK rolls his eyes and barely suppresses a groan. 

“There’s nothing to tell?” TK tries, though he knows his lie is evident to all of them. 

“That hickey says otherwise,” Judd pipes up, and TK shoots him a glare. 

“Come on now, children,” his dad says, and TK huffs a little laugh. 

And then he looks out the window as the rig slows. 

“Shit,” Paul says, following TK’s line of vision. And, well, _yeah_. Because the road is a mess, various vehicles piled up. But it’s what’s at the heart of the accident that catches all of their attention: a semi-truck, tipped onto its side, with a dull grey car trapped underneath. 

“Okay, everyone, all hands on deck,” Owen says, all of them out of the truck the moment it comes to a full stop. They’re the first to the scene, only a few police cruisers trying to set up a barrier, and so he hears his dad yell to him that he’s on point for checking on the car driver. It’s all he needs to hear to immediately jump into action, even as his dad keeps shouting orders for Paul and Judd to grab the jaws and deal with the truck driver. 

He and Marjan move into a jog, hiking their gear up high on their shoulders. 

Once they get to the driver’s side of the car, TK knows it’s going to be a tough day. 

The driver is completely crushed under the weight of the steering column, the whole front of her car folded in like an accordion. There’s blood dripping from a gash on her forehead, and what looks to be a broken arm, and TK has only barely set eyes on her and he already doesn’t like the way she’s trying so hard to breathe. 

“Ma’am? My name’s TK, and this is Marjan, we’re AFD,” TK starts, the spiel coming out of his mouth without a second thought. Marjan clears the window of the sharp shards of broken glass, giving them more room to work; he meets her eyes and she nods, reaching down for her radio to call for the jaws and some extra hands. “Can you tell me your name?” 

“Rachel,” she gasps, and TK nods, pressing his fingers to her wrist that looks mostly uninjured for a pulse. It’s weak, but he tries to school his features so she can't see his worry.

“Marjan, we’re going to need to secure her neck, and once medical gets here we’re going to need to get her on oxygen,” he says, before meeting Rachel’s eyes. “Okay, Rachel, we’re getting you out of here. We just need a minute to secure you.” 

“Hurts to—breathe,” she stutters, and TK clenches his jaw. Marjan opens the backdoor of the car with a few good tugs, and slips into the seat, reaching around to place a neck brace on Rachel. 

“TK, tell me what’s going on.” 

His dad’s voice pulls him from listening to Rachel’s shallow breathing, and he responds: “Female driver, she’s completely pinned, Cap. Weak pulse, low BP—I need medical here now.” 

“They’re coming, maybe a minute out,” his dad says, sidling up to him. He looks through the car and meets TK’s eyes, both of them knowing how time sensitive this rescue is going to be. 

TK feels a little relieved when he sees Mateo arrive with a backboard, and Nancy and Tim trailing just steps behind him. Judd’s voice crackles through the radio, informing them that the truck driver’s only a little banged up. 

“Hey, Rachel, the paramedics are here now, okay?” TK says, though when she latches onto his arm, he squeezes her hand. “I won’t leave you.” 

She nods, looking at him with wide, scared eyes.

When Nancy gets the other side of the car open, pulling a nasal cannula from her bag and talking with Tim about her ABCs, TK keeps her looking at him. She looks like she’s going to drop any second, tears sliding through the grime on her cheeks, her breaths still too weak. 

“Hey, just talk to me,” TK says, his only thought to keep her awake. 

Rachel just starts crying harder. 

TK meets Nancy’s eyes from across the car, and feels Marjan at his side. “Hey, hey, Rachel. Listen to me. Do you have someone? Someone waiting for you at home?” 

“Lena,” she sniffles, her voice growing weaker. “We’re—we’re getting married in April.” 

“Tell me about her,” TK says, eyes pleading, barely registering the murmured conversation around them as a plan forms. 

“She’s always worrying about me, calls me a danger magnet,” she laughs wetly, and neither of them mention the blood that stains her lips. 

“Sounds like my boyfriend,” he tells her, and she meets his eyes, something hopeful presented in her gaze. “I got shot last year and burst my stitches a week later. He tells me all the time that I’m not allowed to go to the hospital again unless I want to send him to an early grave.”

Rachel smiles at him, faintly, and squeezes his hand. “She—she’s my best friend. I just want to see her again.” 

“You will,” TK says, before he can even think about what he’s promising. 

He steps back for a moment, being pulled into the plan from his dad. He’s left with the job of talking to Rachel, considering he’s made the most significant contact with her. 

TK takes a deep breath, and returns, frowning at her pained expression. “Okay, Rachel. We’re going to have to use some equipment to get you out, and I won’t lie to you, it’s going to hurt. But think of Lena, okay? I promise you that we’ll get you back to her.” 

“But my _chest,”_ she groans, trying weakly to move against the weight pushing her down again. Both he and Nancy immediately reach out to settle her, hands on her shoulders. “I think I have a concussion, and—and it _hurts._ Everything hurts.”

“You’re going to see her, so soon,” TK promises, imagining what he’d want to hear if he were in her place. He thinks of Carlos, and knows he’d do anything if it meant getting home to him. “I swear to you. I will make sure you get home to her.” 

“TK,” Marjan whispers, and he meets her gaze before his eyes flit away. He knows what it means, to make impossible promises. But he fully intends on keeping this one. 

“Now, I’m going to count down from three, and me and my team are cutting you out of here, okay?” TK says, and she nods, eyes closing tight. “Think of Lena.” 

It’s a bit of a mess, once Owen starts them on the routine procedure, using the jaws and every tool they have to remove the driver’s door; to wedge her out from the steering column. Once she’s on the backboard and lifted onto the stretcher, they start losing her, and Tim immediately starts on compressions. 

TK holds his breath, staggering back against the car. Marjan squeezes his shoulder until they hear Nancy declare that she’s got a pulse. They rush her to the ambulance, and that’s supposed to be it. TK knows it. 

“Take a breather,” his dad says, cupping the back of his neck. TK nods, feeling exhaustion ache deep in his bones. “You did good, kid.” 

TK just nods again. Marjan knocks her shoulder into his before giving him some space, heading off to check the few witnesses still standing around for any superficial injuries. He ends up walking to somewhere private, which ends up being the back of the ladder truck, where he can lean against the paneling and keep himself upright. 

He doesn’t realize how _out of it_ he feels until there’s hands gently cupping either side of his face, carefully tipping his head up. 

“Carlos?” TK’s voice sounds weak even to his own ears, and his boyfriend nods, looking concerned. 

“TK, are you okay?” Carlos asks, and it’s only when he drags his thumbs across TK’s cheeks and wipes away the tears there that TK realizes he’d even been crying. “Sweetheart...”

“I’m okay,” TK says, sniffing hard. "I swear. I'm just exhausted."

He leans into Carlos’ touch, though, because he’s got his boyfriend here and doesn’t want to have to let him go just yet. 

He voices his desire, barely audible to anyone but his boyfriend. "Stay with me for a minute? I just need to—to get my head on straight." 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Carlos whispers, and TK sighs and drops his head to rest against Carlos’ chest. 

“Just—just a rough call,” he murmurs, mostly into Carlos’ uniform. He feels a hand carding through his hair, and settles under the touch. “I’m glad you’re here.” 

“I’ll be wherever you need me, Ty,” Carlos says, ducking down to press a kiss to the crown of TK’s head. “Always.” 


	5. #16: kissing knuckles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@aanathemaa](https://aanathemaa.tumblr.com/) who said: _can you please do 16?🥰_ , [@morganaspendragonss](https://morganaspendragonss.tumblr.com/) who said: _hi I love your writing! can I request 16 for tarlos?_ and anon who said: _16 for Tarlos from the prompt list please! :)_ thank you for the prompts!! i hope you enjoy!!💗

TK’s very aware of the fact that he’s a tactile person.

He’s never had any shame in it—while he had a strained childhood, moving between his mom’s place in Brooklyn to his dad’s on the weekends in Manhattan, his parents refused to let him feel awkward when it came to hugs or physical moments of affirmation. But he’s always found that when it came to relationships, he always gave more than he got. He initiated hugs, and kisses, and even the smallest touch: like a hand to an elbow, or an arm around the shoulders. 

With Alex it was...strange. It was always off, and maybe it was TK’s blind faith and desperation in having a relationship that would last, but he should’ve known the end was near when they stopped touching. When he could no longer remember how it felt to be tucked against Alex’s chest; when he could no longer remember the weight of Alex’s arms around him. Even their kisses tasted wrong, after a while, so much so that it was easier to act like it was okay that weeks passed with barely anything beyond a peck to the cheek. 

And TK was about ready to deal with the fact that his desire for touch wouldn’t ever be matched. And he—he was okay with that, at least on a surface level. 

Until he meets Carlos. 

With Carlos, it’s like an internal flame is spurred to life once more. They’re barely together—officially, this time—and TK already knows deep down that this thing they have, it’s the real deal.

And it’s a small moment that solidifies that fact for him. 

“You’re so gone for him, aren’t you?” 

TK snaps his attention to Marjan, who is, as usual, smirking at him. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he replies, cocking a brow at her as he bites on the end of his straw. 

“Sure,” Marjan drags out the syllables, knocking her shoulder against his as she claims the seat to his right. The honky tonk is bustling, the band dragging everyone out to the dance floor, the sound of clinking glasses and loud conversation filling the room. She ducks her head close to him to keep the conversation between them. “It’s cute. You’re always _smiley,_ now, I could get used to it.” 

TK snorts. “Rude. Even when I’m not smiling I’m _always_ pleasant to be around.” 

Marjan snickers and grabs for her club soda. “So it’s been what, a month?” 

“Give or take,” TK says, even though he knows it’s been exactly one month, two weeks and a day since he told Carlos they would make a good team. Nothing’s changed since. 

“But you were a...thing, before?” Marjan asks, clearly trying not to be too evasive, though her eyes seem actually interested to know the answer. He's kind of beaten around the bush with what he's told the team about him and Carlos—they know enough that Carlos sitting with him and worrying about him after he'd been shot wasn't a random thing. 

TK glances back at the dart board, where Carlos and Nancy are eviscerating Paul and Tim in game two of three. Every few minutes, Carlos’ eyes drift over and meet TK’s, and every damn time, TK’s heart practically flutters. 

“You could say that, yeah,” TK says, unable to stop his smirk around the straw. Marjan nudges him in the ribs. 

“Well, we’re glad you got your shit together,” Marjan smiles at him, her expression soft. “And we’re so happy to get you back.” 

TK drops his head to Marjan’s shoulder, briefly, smiling back. It’s been a long few weeks of recovery, his medical leave extended when he burst his stitches and had to get them redone. His dad didn’t want him to push himself too soon, and with him feeling solid in his life choices, TK didn’t really mind the time off. But now, being back with the team, his papers signed this afternoon and filed with the chief, he can’t wait to suit up again. 

“I’m...yeah,” TK grins, shaking his head a little. “I don’t even have words for how excited I am.” 

“Because you _love_ us,” Marjan links their arms, and he squeezes. 

“Don’t you know it,” TK feels warm at her side, here with the team. And when he feels the air shift and sees a glint of something mischievous in Marjan’s eyes, he turns his head and watches appreciatively as Carlos approaches the table with Nancy at his side, Paul and Tim stalking toward the bar, shaking their heads. 

As Marjan strikes up a conversation with Nancy, all of them whooping when Paul and Tim return to the table with the next round of drinks on them, TK pats the seat next to him on his left, eyes focused on his boyfriend. 

“Congrats, big guy,” TK murmurs, unabashedly leaning into Carlos’ space. 

In retaliation, Carlos grabs TK’s hand; he links their fingers and brings them up toward his mouth, kissing TK’s knuckles.”Thanks, Ty. Just let me know when you want a rematch, I can make that happen.” 

“I think I’ll just stick to mini golf,” TK says, trying not to draw attention to the heat he feels at Carlos’ gesture; the unflinching action that TK never would have even thought of attempting with any of his previous boyfriends. 

It lights a part of him on fire, because he knows deep down that this time things will be different. 

But none of his old boyfriends were Carlos. None of them hold a damn candle to Carlos. 

“Now mini golf is something I can get behind,” Paul interjects, leaning his weight against the table. 

TK reaches across and completes the high five Paul offers out. “We’d annihilate you guys.” 

“Is that so?” Carlos cocks a brow at him, and TK knocks into him lightly. 

“Absolutely,” TK grins, sinking into it when Carlos throws an arm over TK’s shoulders, his fingers gently tapping against his chest. TK turns his head and kisses at his jaw, and the small smile Carlos gives him is worth everything in the world. 

“Y’all are gonna give us cavities,” Judd says, strolling up to the table. He’s grinning playfully, though, and Grace rolls her eyes at her husband before she squeezes Carlos’ shoulder in greeting. 

“Deal with it,” TK winks at Judd, as the others at the table laugh. 

Carlos huffs out a laugh of his own, and kisses TK’s temple. He sinks into the touch, and knows deep down that he won’t ever let this go. 


	6. #5: giggly cuddles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@hichristy](https://hichristy.tumblr.com/) who said: _✨hi maddie!!! if you feel inspired, can you do prompt #2 or #5 from the physical affection list._ i went with #5 for this one, and i hope you enjoy!! 💗

Carlos doesn’t realize it at first, but things move at a natural progression between himself and TK. 

And the thing is that they don’t even really _talk_ about it when things happen. He starts referring to TK as his boyfriend in his head and then after it spills out of his mouth for the first time, TK just gives him one of his small, private smiles before he kisses him senseless. Carlos offers him a key to his place when TK ends up spending most nights with him anyway, and every time he sees him use it his heart grows even fonder for his boyfriend. 

He knows he loves him. He just doesn’t know how to approach that subject, or what the best time might be. 

Of course, like most things in their relationship, it just kind of...happens. 

It’s his fourth night coming off a shift that ended up going overtime, and he’s too tired to do much besides shower and dig through his fridge for easily re-heated leftovers. He’s home at eleven and in bed by midnight, shooting off a couple texts to TK, who’s still got two hours left of his shift. 

But he’s out quick, and he doesn’t know several hours have passed until something he can’t quite place wakes him. 

Scrubbing a hand down his face, Carlos sits up in bed and stares at the way the moonlight pools at the bottom of his head from where it spills through the open window. He winces a little when he glances at his alarm clock and _3:24_ blinks back him tauntingly. He considers flopping back against his pillows in an attempt to fall back asleep, already prepared to ignore the unusual noise in favour of getting at least a couple more hours before heading back in for a shift he was covering, when he hears it again. 

It’s definitely his floor creaking, and he instinctively flips on the light and settles his gaze on the bedroom door. 

And, to his relief, finds TK. 

“Shit, sorry,” TK murmurs, meeting Carlos’ eyes. There’s a sheepish look on his face, undoubtedly over waking him up, but Carlos just settles in relief at seeing his boyfriend safe and, if anything, exhausted. 

“It’s okay,” Carlos says, watching as TK drops his duffel bag down by the dresser. He carries himself with the usual post-shift tiredness, the kind that radiates through your whole body, his hair a mess from where he’s probably been anxiously running his fingers through it. “Everything okay?” 

TK makes a half-hearted noise, shrugging his shoulders as he slowly pulls his AFD hoodie off. “Just a long day.” 

After a beat, TK drops face first onto the bed, snuggling into the pillow. Carlos sighs a little, and digs into his boyfriend’s jeans pocket, pulling out his phone and keys, figuring his wallet’s probably thrown into his bag. He smiles a little at the sight of TK’s keychain, the copy of his house key catching his eye. He runs his thumb along the ridges before he deposits the items onto the bedside table, moving to comb his fingers through TK’s hair. He hums happily, leaning into the touch, and Carlos lets it last for a few moments before he whispers, “come here.” 

TK opens one eye and stares at him, the other half of his face still smooshed into the pillow. Carlos cocks a brow at him and he instantly spots the little smile pulling at the corner of TK’s mouth, before his boyfriend makes a dramatic noise as he flops onto his back to move closer to Carlos.

“You’re forgetting something,” Carlos explains, staring down at the beautiful face he loves the most, and TK lets out an honest-to-God giggle, clearly growing delirious with sleep. Slowly, he lifts himself up onto his elbows to close the distance between them. Carlos smiles into the kiss as usual, his hand fitting to the back of TK’s neck, as TK presses close. 

“I missed you today,” TK murmurs, their foreheads pressed together as they breathe between kisses. He runs a hand through Carlos’ curls, scratching lightly over his scalp. 

“I missed you too, Ty,” Carlos says, before TK ducks in for another kiss. Before he can think about it, as he’s slowly dragging his hand up and down TK’s back, he whispers, “I love you.” 

He’s not sure his boyfriend hears it at first. But TK slowly pulls back from the kiss, sitting back enough to look Carlos straight in the eye. His mouth’s the slightest bit agape, eyes roaming over Carlos’ face, as if he’s searching for a tell that he might be lying. 

“What’d you just say?” TK asks, his voice just barely above a whisper. 

Carlos considers retracting his statement or working around it, blaming it on exhaustion and not having a clear head. But it wouldn’t be the truth. And he doesn’t want to hide how he feels anymore. So he reaches out and drags his thumb along TK’s cheek, and says it again: 

“I love you.” 

“You—” TK exhales shakily, staring down at his hands before slowly meeting Carlos’ eyes once more. “You do?” 

“So much it scares me, sometimes,” Carlos says, his heartbeat pulsing in his ears, his face growing warm. “You don’t have to—” 

“I love you too,” TK’s words come tumbling out, speaking quickly like he sometimes does, and a smile slowly spreads across his face. He curls his arms around Carlos, both of them fumbling as they end up in their usual cuddle position, whenever they’re actually able to fall asleep together. 

They both let out breathless laughter, cuddling up so close that there’s barely any space between them. 

TK presses a kiss to the freckle under his ear, his giggles breathed against his skin. “I love you so fucking much, Carlos.” 

Carlos _has_ to kiss him, then—can you blame him? He tilts his boyfriend’s head up so he can press their mouths together, but they’re both giggling so much that it’s hard to say it’s an actual kiss. 

They’re so wrapped up in each other, though, that neither of them really find it in themselves to care. 


	7. #18: wiping away food from someone's lips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@trkstrnd](https://trkstrnd.tumblr.com/) who said: _18 or 22 for tarlos 🥺_ and [@lndnrs](https://lndnrs.tumblr.com/) who said: _#18 with Tarlos pls✨_ thank you both for your prompts, and i hope you enjoy!! 💗

TK’s first birthday in Austin ends up being all he could ever ask for. 

He’s still getting used to a new December climate, and part of him doesn’t even want to mention the fact that it’s his birthday to the team. They all have enough to worry about, after all. But of course his dad would never keep quiet about the occasion, and now TK’s coming off a twelve-hour shift and he'd had to clean himself up the best he could in the firehouse’s locker room, to at least be somewhat presentable for his party at Grace and Judd’s. 

Carlos glances at him for the fifth time since pulling away from the firehouse, and wordlessly reaches over to place a hand on his knee—the same knee that’s been bouncing nervously since they got in the car. 

“Sorry, sorry,” TK murmurs, running his hand through his hair. 

“What’s wrong?” Carlos asks, moving his hand from TK’s knee to instead grab his free hand, smoothing his thumb along his knuckles. It immediately centres TK, and he takes a deep breath. “Hey, you okay?” 

“Yeah, I just—it’s overwhelming,” TK admits quietly, staring down at his fingers linked with Carlos’, finding it a perfect fit. 

“Everyone loves you, Ty,” Carlos says, still moving his thumb in a calming rhythm as he drives. “This party is a way for us to show it.” 

“i don’t need all this to know that, though,” TK says, feeling warmth creep up his neck. He remembers the stress he felt he put on his parents, not only having a birthday so close to the holidays but by being a product of their marriage that eventually failed. They were still friendly, sure, but TK can’t just forget the plethora of times a party was thrown for him just so he could forget his dad was three hours late or his mom had to slip away to handle a big client. 

“Hey, if it’s too much, we’ll come up with an excuse, okay?” Carlos offers, understanding immediately because of course he does. “We’ll—we’ll say one of us isn’t feeling well, though I guess that’s not the best course of action when almost everyone we know has medical training—”

TK feels the dopey grin spread over his face as his boyfriend rambles. Carlos finally trails off and catches the look on his face, a small smile of his own pulling at the corner of his mouth. 

“What?” 

“I just love you,” TK says, squeezing Carlos’ hand tight. “And thank you. But I think I’ll be okay. I just,” he waves a hand in a vague motion next to his head, “get a little too caught up in here, sometimes.” 

“I know,” Carlos drags his thumb over his knuckles once more, before he’s parking the car right in front of Grace and Judd’s place. “And Ty?” 

“Hm?” TK turns his head and is met with a gentle kiss, slowly blinking his eyes open when Carlos pulls away. 

“I love you too,” Carlos smiles, and TK rolls his eyes and huffs a laugh but feels his heart beat rapidly nonetheless. 

He’s a little apprehensive as he gets out of the Camaro, fidgeting with the cuffs of his sleeves, as he follows Carlos to the front door. 

But it turns out that his found family loves him more than he could imagine, because they _know_ him. They know he didn’t want them to go crazy for his birthday, because once they walk into the living room there’s tasteful decorations and various platters of food set up, but it’s just family present. Marjan tackles him into a hug first, ruffling his hair when they pull away; Judd eventually blocks his path until he can smack a kiss to the crown of his head and fist bump him. 

“Grace, you didn’t have to—” 

“You better not finish that sentence, TK,” Grace says, cocking a brow at him. He lifts his hands in response. “It was an honour to pull this together for you, because you deserve it, love.” 

He knows his face is warm, but he doesn’t care. “Thank you.” 

She pulls him in then, for a signature Grace-Ryder-hug that’s all swaying and arms squeezing tight around his ribs. He gets a kiss to his cheek, too, and he stalks back toward Carlos and Paul with what he knows is a huge grin on his face. 

The whole night is low-key, everyone gathered around to chat and drink and stuff themselves on Grace’s cooking. That is, until the lights suddenly dim and TK hears the beginning of his dad’s tone-deaf attempt at singing “Happy Birthday.” 

“Oh, god,” TK mutters, pressing his palm over his face. Carlos just pulls him closer, arm around his waist as he sings quietly into his ear, everyone else joining in at various levels of enthusiasm. Eventually his dad ends up in front of him, cake proudly displaying a candle in the shape of a _27,_ the light flickering against his face. 

TK glances around the room as the song comes to an end, and he’s smiling even as he shakes his head and dramatically takes a deep breath to blow out the candle. 

When he’s passed a piece, he can sense something happening by the way the air seems to shift around him. 

“What’s—” TK trails off, fork in his left hand and flimsy paper plate in his right, glancing over at his boyfriend. 

Who, deep down and just like his friends, is an absolute _menace._

 _“_ There might be one tradition we didn’t tell you about,” Marjan says, already grinning gleefully. 

Carlos slowly comes closer, and TK realizes what’s about to happen too late because in what feels like a nanosecond, he’s suddenly got his piece of cake smashed into his face. 

The team _howls_ with laughter, as his mouth falls open in shock and he wipes two handfuls of icing from his eyes. 

“Reyes!” TK shouts, already chasing after him, the others in attendance snickering as they move out of the way. 

“Baby, come on,” Carlos tries to say through his laughter, but eventually he’s backed up against the wall with nowhere to go. 

“Don’t I get a birthday kiss?” TK asks, far too innocently, and Carlos holds him at arm’s length as the others start chanting for them to kiss, several teasing _oohs_ filling the room. TK really lays it on thick, puppy-dog eyes and all, and sees the exact moment Carlos melts. 

“Like I could ever refuse you,” his boyfriend murmurs, reaching forward to gently wipe away as much of the bits of cake and frosting stuck to his lips as he can. 

It doesn’t do much about the rest of the mess on TK’s face, but neither of them seem to care, as the moment Carlos’ thumb drops from TK’s bottom lip he’s lurching forward to kiss him, trying to pour all the love and gratefulness for this night into one press of their lips. 

They’re grinning into it like always, and eventually TK’s frosting-smeared hand comes up to cup Carlos’ cheek, and Carlos’ hands drop down to TK’s sides, and the last thing they’re worried about is cake or their friends standing all around them. 

Someone—probably Judd—yells at them to get a room. TK flips him off, lovingly of course, before he kisses his boyfriend once more to get the point across. He pulls back and almost breaks down in tears with the force of his laughter at the sight of Carlos’ face. 

Carlos just smacks a kiss to his temple, and TK knows in that second it’s the best birthday he’s ever had. 


	8. #6: chasing someone's lips after they pull away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@bellakitse](https://bellakitse.tumblr.com/) who said: _This list is so cute! #6 for Tarlos, please. ❤_ and anon, who said: _Can I request number 6 for the physical intimacy prompts ✨ 🥰 ✨_ thank you both for the prompts! i hope you enjoy 💗

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Officer Reyes.” 

“Oh, well—” Carlos starts, following behind Owen as he lets him into the house, slowly trailing off upon spotting TK, who’s leaning in the doorway with a coy smile on his face. 

“You know, you can call him Carlos, dad,” TK jumps in, cocking his head to the side in that playful way of his. “We aren’t on shift.”

Owen sighs exasperatedly at him, and TK being the little shit he is, smiles innocently back. 

“What? You’re making him spend his day off with me so you can run errands,” TK shrugs, though both of them catch the little wince when he moves his injured shoulder. “Like the mother-hen you are.” 

“I wouldn’t say he’s _making_ me _,”_ Carlos interjects with a smile, shoving his hands into his pockets. TK sticks his tongue out at him. 

“Think of it as date night,” Owen says, grabbing his keys and his carefully crafted grocery list, as well as some files he’s running by the firehouse while he’s out. “Just without the perks.” 

“ _Dad_ —” 

“—Because of the stitches, you know.”

“We’re leaving,” TK says, grabbing Carlos’ hand and tugging him toward the living room. Owen laughs as he leaves, and shouts out a _thank you, Carlos!_ before the front door closes behind him. 

TK drags a hand down his face, shaking his head at his father. “I would say I’m sorry about him, but that’s just how he is.” 

“I get it,” Carlos says, gently nudging his shoulder against TK’s. “Well, I suppose I’ll _eventually_ get used to it.” 

A comfortable quiet settles around them as TK directs them toward the couch, where the TV is paused on a rom-com. Carlos roams his eyes over the other man, and finds that he looks like he’s at peace. He seems comfortable, in his joggers and soft t-shirt, a fresh bandage just slightly peeking out from the collar, and overall he looks _happy,_ as he sits back against the armrest, his socked feet nudging gently against Carlos’ thigh. He seems to be waiting for the go ahead, and Carlos couldn’t feel any more at home as he relaxes into his seat and pats his leg, sparing a glance at TK. 

TK grins at him, and throws his legs over his lap. 

“You know, I’m glad you came over,” TK says, his expression soft when Carlos meets his eyes. 

“I’m happy to be here,” Carlos replies, offering the other man a small smile.

Here’s the thing: he still isn’t _exactly_ sure what they are.

Carlos cherishes the memory of the night of the solar storm, but it’s been hectic since then. TK’s off on medical leave for who knows how long, after busting his stitches and getting more put in, and Carlos knows the 126 is as backed up as he is with calls from the aftermath of the whole town’s power being on the fritz. They’ve texted, and Facetimed, and Carlos knows that TK wants to try this thing out between them for real. He’s fully prepared to go at the other man’s pace, sure in at least the fact that TK’s not trying to distance himself anymore. 

“Okay,” TK says out of nowhere, breaking the momentary silence. “Twenty questions. Go.” 

“Really?” Carlos asks, cocking a brow. 

TK hums, as he leans a little closer. “We’re still getting to know each other, aren’t we?” 

Carlos doesn’t answer—he doesn’t need to, really—because TK’s moved in to press the smallest of kisses to his mouth. It’s unlike their other kisses: unhurried, laid-back, casual. It’s over before it even starts, and TK gives him a challenging look. He huffs a laugh, and leans back. “Okay, let’s do this, then.” 

They throw questions at each other at a rapid-fire speed, ranging from biggest fear to opinions on chocolate versus vanilla. 

TK grins at him and plays with a loose thread on his jeans. “Hmm. I think I know the answer, but uh, morning or night?” 

“I’m actually kind of a morning person,” Carlos says, already biting back a laugh at the other man’s widening eyes. 

TK dramatically throws his head back and throws a hand over his heart. “You’re a monster!” 

“I’m productive!” Carlos retorts, fully laughing now. 

“I can’t believe my boyfriend’s a _morning person,_ ”TK says, though both of them immediately freeze as the words come tumbling out of his mouth. TK looks at him with a deer-in-headlights expression, the gears in his mind probably already going a thousand miles a minute as he realizes what he’s said.

Before he can leave or shut down, Carlos rests a hand on TK’s forearm. 

“Wait, I didn’t know I had a boyfriend,” Carlos lays on the teasing tone thick, so TK knows he’s messing with him, trying to cover up the own uptick in his heartbeat at the use of the word. 

“Shut up,” TK groans, his face flushing a little. 

“Good thing he’s a ten,” Carlos continues, grabbing TK’s hand and linking their fingers together. TK’s eyes stare imploringly into his own. “And funny as hell, and caring, and adorable.” 

“I’m not _adorable,”_ TK mutters, as Carlos leans in to press their foreheads together. 

“Hey, Ty,” he whispers, their noses brushing. “It’s okay with me. As long as you—”

“You don’t even have to finish that sentence,” TK says, before he frames Carlos’ face between his hands and pulls him in for a kiss. This one lingers; it’s a kiss Carlos can feel all the way down in his bones. Carlos presses even closer, his hand curled into TK’s t-shirt. 

He starts to pull away, remembering not only where they are, but that TK’s only on day three of possibly fifteen of medical leave, when TK just stays firm and chases after his lips. Carlos grins the tiniest bit, and obliges his boyfriend— _no, his stomach doesn’t flip at the thought of the label, absolutely not_ —to kiss him some more. 

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Carlos murmurs, when they pull back to breathe. 

TK grins at him, before surging forward to kiss him, again and again. 


	9. #2: interlocking pinkies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@sixringss](https://sixringss.tumblr.com/) who said: _#2 for Tarlos please_ thank you for the prompt, and i hope you enjoy! 💗

In theory, TK knew that this could always be a possibility. 

It’s a given in their line of work—both of them run _toward_ the danger, not away, and it’s something they have to grapple with. But the worry before every shift, the simmering nerves that something could go wrong...it’s something they face down as a team. And while the team’s always there to offer support, it’s the two of them against the world in so many ways. 

But it doesn’t make it any easier when the ladder-truck pulls up to an intersection, on some unassuming, regular old Thursday, and TK’s eyes instantly lock on a familiar blue Camaro.

“Hey, kid—” Judd starts, but TK pushes all thoughts but his boyfriend out of his mind. He grabs his med-kit, the ambulance still a couple minutes away, and beelines for the driver’s side of Carlos’ car. 

Only, his boyfriend isn’t there. 

“Carlos?” TK hears the strain in his own voice as he searches, acknowledging the considerable damage to the front of the car. His boyfriend couldn’t have gone _far,_ and TK spares a glance to the backseat and the ground nearby, looking for any sort of sign. 

But there’s nothing. 

He runs a hand through his hair, looking around once more for fear of missing something. His dad catches his eye from across the street, where he’s chatting with Mateo and pointing to various onlookers, and TK just shrugs, throwing his hands in the air. He’s completely bewildered, wondering if this is just the universe playing some cruel trick on him, as he shoulders his bag. 

“Hey TK!” Marjan calls, and he turns to follow her voice. 

She’d been assigned to the other vehicles to assess the victims, alongside Paul and Judd, and she waves him over to where a pickup truck has its front end bent around a traffic pole. There’s a small crowd of people curled around the perimeter of the accident—a usual occurrence, especially something like this in the middle of the day—and so TK has to announce his arrival loudly in order to get through to his team. 

When he does, TK staggers for a moment. 

Because Carlos is there. 

He’s kneeling, attention focused on a woman who’s sitting on the curb. She has a few small cuts along her head and a larger one along her arm, which Carlos has his hands pressed over to staunch the bleeding. He looks up briefly, and catches TK’s eyes, offering him the tiniest reassuring smiles before turning back to the woman. 

“Passenger of the truck,” Paul explains, as Marjan digs through her own med-kit and pulls out sterile bandages. She moves into Carlos and the woman’s space, replacing Carlos’ hands with her own. “He says he saw her struggling and ran over to help.” 

TK swallows hard, watching as Marjan works. There’s the telling wail of the ambulance’s siren as it arrives, and Tim and Nancy are quick to come over with the stretcher. They take off with the driver, who’d been grabbing at his neck, and Michelle leads the woman—carefully wrapped up with the bandages Marjan supplied—along with her husband. 

“How are you feeling?” TK asks, coming in close to Carlos’ space when his boyfriend stands. It’s his first opportunity to get a good look at him, and his breath catches in his throat when he spots the gash over his boyfriend’s brow. “Let me look at that.” 

“Ty, I’m fine...” Carlos tries, though TK shoots him a look and Marjan and Paul manage to simultaneously whistle under their breath. 

“Come here,” TK says, leading him toward the ladder-truck for the smallest bit of privacy. He’s thankful that the cut on his boyfriend’s head looks superficial, but there’s always a subtle worry about neck or brain injuries whenever they encounter a car accident. He rests his hands on Carlos’ shoulders and pushes gently, guiding him to sit on the step on the back of the rig. 

After a moment of digging through his bag, he clutches the stethoscope and goes about checking Carlos’ ABCs, just to make himself feel better. Content enough with what he finds, he moves on to find some gauze, glancing up to meet his boyfriend’s eyes. “So, what happened?”

“I was just doing some errands,” Carlos starts, wincing a little when TK gently wipes at some of the blood on his forehead. “Someone ran the light, and it all went downhill from there. But I—I feel _fine_ , TK.” 

“That’d be the adrenaline,” TK murmurs, moving so he’s standing between his boyfriend’s legs. He feels Carlos drop a hand to his hip, and he lets the touch anchor both of them as he examines the wound. “But it doesn’t look too bad. I’ll patch it up, and they can run some tests at the hospital.” 

Carlos looks at him incredulously. “Baby, I don’t need to go to the hospital.” 

“It’d make me feel better if you went,” TK says, pouting a little at him to sell it as he smooths the gauze over the gash. “Actually, it’d make me feel better if you promise to never get hurt again.” 

He says it with the tiniest huff of a laugh, trying to lighten the mood as Carlos stares deep into his soul. 

“Well,” Carlos sighs, leaning back a bit. He looks a little more tired, now, the reality of the day probably settling in. “I could say the same about you.” 

“I promise not to ever do it on purpose,” TK says, gently cupping Carlos’ face, dragging his thumb in small strokes over his cheek. 

“Me too,” Carlos offers him a warm smile, before giving him a little smirk. “Pinkie promise?” 

TK grins, shaking his head fondly at his boyfriend. He still holds out his free hand, though, pinkie sticking out. 

“Pinkie promise,” TK confirms, lifting a brow at Carlos. The other man smiles at him and mirrors his actions, removing his hand from TK’s hip so they can interlock pinkies. Their hands linger in a soft touch even afterwards, and Carlos maneuvers them so their fingers intertwine. 

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Carlos murmurs, slowly standing up. TK steadies him with a hand to his waist. 

“Don’t apologize. I’m just glad you’re okay,” TK says, curling his fingers into his boyfriend’s shirt. Carlos settles an arm around his shoulders, and pulls him close for a makeshift hug. 

_I love you,_ Carlos whispers into his hair, before pressing a kiss there. TK feels warmth spread throughout his body, as he reaches up for a quick kiss pressed to his boyfriend’s mouth, repeating those three fateful words, knowing in that instant that they’ll be okay. They’ll always be okay, together. 


	10. #4: a hug after not seeing someone for a long time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@ao3theskyisblue](https://ao3theskyisblue.tumblr.com/) who said: _Hi!! Hope you're doing well 😊 Whenever you feel inspired, I would love to see your rendition of #1 or #4 (or both, whatever you're feelin' 😏) for the physical affection prompts 😁_ i went with #4, here, and i hope you enjoy! 💗

It’s a mostly quiet morning in the firehouse, and TK moves on auto-pilot as he strolls from the bunks to the kitchen. His mind’s been elsewhere recently, anyway—he scrubs a hand down his face with a little sigh, digging through the cabinet for a mug. 

He spends several moments just letting his thoughts stew, pinching the bridge of his nose as the machine heats up. When it’s ready, he stares off into the distance, letting the heat from the mug seep through to his palms. 

“Alright,” Marjan says, appearing out of nowhere and nearly making TK spill his coffee. “Spill.” 

“I _literally_ have no idea what you’re talking about, Marj,” TK replies, leaning against the counter. She gestures toward the espresso machine and he side-steps to the right, giving her access. 

“The elephant in the room?” Marjan presses, cocking a sculpted brow at him. She pokes him in the cheek, and he playfully swats at her hand. “The way you’ve been looking a little blue for almost two weeks, while refusing to say anything to us?” 

TK sighs, staring down at his coffee, swirling it around gently. “Is it that obvious?”

Marjan just levels him with a look. 

“Okay, okay,” TK places his coffee on the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. “I just—I miss him.” 

“Carlos?” Marjan asks, curling her fingers around the pale green mug she chooses. 

TK nods. He taps his fingers nervously against his bicep, before continuing. “It’s been a week. And we’ve been texting, and I know there’s Facetime but—”

“—it isn’t the same,” Marjan concludes, meeting his eyes. TK just sighs and nods again. “I’m sorry, man.” 

“It’s okay,” TK sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, offering her a small smile as he sighs exasperatedly. “I’ve gone through worse and survived.” 

“Don’t remind me,” Marjan rolls her eyes, though she still reaches forward and squeezes his arm. 

TK smiles softly at her. "But uh, I'm more worried about him, you know? He's going through so much and I can't be with him."

"I'm sure he knows that you're there for him," Marjan says, in that confident way of hers that seems to calm his nerves no matter what. "Hey, how about we get boba after shift? My treat."

“Well, I can’t turn that down, can I?” TK smiles softly at her, and she grins. 

“Nope. It’d be breaking the rules of our friendship,” Marjan moves closer to wrap an arm around him in a half hug. 

It feels nice, the brief moment of physical touch. But he’d be lying if he said it didn’t make him long for Carlos more. 

* * *

Carlos had gotten the call exactly fifteen days ago, while they were cooking dinner. 

Well— _Carlos_ had been cooking dinner. TK was attempting to help. His boyfriend had come up behind him and kissed just under his ear before his phone started ringing, and TK was left feeling the tiniest bit dazed as he waited for what felt like forever for the pot of water he was supposed to be watching to start boiling. 

The minutes slowly ticked on and TK started snacking on some of the spare veggies Carlos had chopped up, glancing around and taking in the personal touches to Carlos’ kitchen: the little statuettes and candles and potted plants. He’s positioned himself in front of the various photographs stuck to the fridge, taking in the faces that pop up again and again, the people that TK wants so desperately to meet one day. 

He’d heard footsteps approaching and glanced over his shoulder, his smile immediately falling when taking in Carlos’ expression. TK had immediately crossed the room, curling an arm around his boyfriend’s middle. 

And that’s when he’d found out the news: that Carlos’ father was sick, that his sisters think he should get home, that tomorrow would be ideal. TK wished so badly he could go with his boyfriend to comfort him, but what kind of introduction would that be? 

“It’ll be okay,” TK had said, the only thing he could think of, holding Carlos as tight as he could. “I’m here for you.” 

* * *

Four days later, it’s officially the longest they’ve been apart since getting together. 

TK misses him all the time, with his whole damn being. He’s thankful for his job because it keeps his mind occupied, and the team’s always around to keep him distracted. He’s been getting text updates pretty frequently, and this morning the best news came: that Carlos’ dad had improved enough to go home from the hospital, and his boyfriend would be home any day now. 

And so he’s understandably more jittery than usual, eyes trained on the clock on the wall, trying to keep himself busy by wiping down the rig. 

It means that he isn’t looking when his boyfriend strolls through the open bay door, waving to Marjan and Paul; it means that when he hears two gentle knocks against the panelling of the truck below him, he jumps the slightest bit, before meeting Carlos’ eyes from where he looks up at him. 

“Holy shit,” he gets out, immediately throwing his rag somewhere he doesn’t care to notice. 

Carlos huffs out a laugh. “Hey, Ty.” 

TK’s back on solid ground and has launched himself into Carlos’ arms before he gets another word out. It causes his boyfriend to stagger back a few steps, though his arms curl around him just as quickly. 

“Are you okay?” TK asks, reluctantly pulling back from the hug, dragging his hands up to rest on either side of Carlos’ face. “How’s your family doing?” 

“They’re good,” Carlos says, looking a little tired but less stressed than he’s seemed to be for weeks. He exhales, and it looks like weight lifts from his shoulders. “I’m good. Glad to see you.” 

TK bites the inside of his cheek, and drags his thumb along Carlos’ jawline. “I’m glad to see you too.” 

“He was moping around like a sad puppy, Reyes,” Paul yells from the other side of the bay. 

“Rude!” TK playfully yells back, Carlos slowly pulling him closer as he laughs.

“Well, I missed you more than I’ve ever missed anyone, so,” Carlos murmurs, mostly into TK’s hair.

“Dork,” TK whispers, before finally giving in and kissing his boyfriend, teasing cheers from his teammates be damned. 

When they pull back, TK settles into his side, feeling more at home than anywhere else in the world. 


	11. #3: smiling into a kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a short and sweet one this time around! prompted by anon who said: _#3 for Tarlos! :)_ thank you for the prompt, i hope you enjoy!! 💗

“You’re not very discreet, you know.” 

TK’s too distracted craning his neck in an attempt to search for his boyfriend at the mostly cleared scene, barely meeting her eyes. “Hmm?” 

“Just proving my point, Strand,” Marjan grins, knocking her shoulder into his before grabbing the last of the supplies and passing it off to him so he can store it away in the rig. “Your guy’s looking for you.” 

“Where?” He asks, carefully securing the items in their appointed compartments before whirling around, aiming for casual. The look on Marjan’s face tells him it might not look as smooth as he’d hoped. 

It turns out he doesn’t have to look around for his boyfriend for too long, though, because Carlos saunters over to them. His heart starts beating a little harder, and he’s quietly amazed that his boyfriend still has this affect on him—they’ve been together, for real, for nearly four months, and yet here he is, a stupid grin probably stretched across his face. 

“That’d be my cue,” Marjan mutters, lightly punching him on the arm and offering a parting wave to Carlos before spinning on her heel. 

They keep it as professional as possible, but TK can’t help his coy smile as Carlos steps into his space. “Hey you.” 

“Hey yourself,” Carlos’ eyes are warm as ever as they take him in, and TK bites on the inside of his cheek. 

This _thing_ they have is something that TK’s never experienced before. He’s never felt so flustered around someone he’s been seeing for mere months; he’s never felt so genuinely excited to see someone. Even though they literally saw each other a few hours ago. 

He points that out to Carlos. 

“You know, we saw each other last night,” TK starts, taking the tiniest step closer, hands behind his back. “And somehow I managed to miss you all morning.” 

“Strange coincidence, then,” Carlos replies, cocking his head playfully to the side, eyes crinkling in the corners. “I missed you too.” 

TK purses his lips, suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to kiss his boyfriend. He glances around and when he finds they’re being granted some privacy with the team lingering around the ambulance across the parking lot, and so he tugs on Carlos’ hand and pulls him back to the other side of the ladder truck. 

“You’re incorrigible,” Carlos teases, but he leans in for the kiss anyway, TK meeting him halfway. 

This is another thing he’s never had before: the smiling into kisses. They seem to do it all the time, without even really thinking about it, and TK feels like he’s on fire whenever it happens. He presses his full body against his boyfriend, gently framing Carlos’ face between his palms. 

He feels Carlos’ hands gripping at his waist, both of them moving impossibly closer to deepen the kiss. 

“I take it you’re coming over later?” Carlos asks, only a little smug, their foreheads pressed together as they catch their breath. 

“I hate you,” TK grins, before pressing another quick kiss to his boyfriend’s smile. When he pulls back this time, it’s to the sound of Marjan yelling for him to hurry up, both of them able to hear the lethal grin in her voice. “I’ll text you when I’m done?” 

Carlos nods, moving one hand up to briefly cup TK’s face, his thumb a gentle caress against his cheek. It’s grounding, and TK leans into it for the briefest moment. Carlos drops his voice down to a whisper to say, “be safe, okay?” 

“Always,” TK says, pressing one last reassuring kiss to the corner of his boyfriend’s mouth, before leaving quickly enough that he isn't tempted to kill more time with the other man.

If he returns to the team with more of a skip to his step than before, then, well, that’s nobody’s business but his own. 


	12. #13: kissing someone's forehead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@beaming-buckley](https://beaming-buckley.tumblr.com/) who said: _Maddie may I request 13 or 16 from the physical affection prompts for tarlos if you are still up for prompts!_ and anons who requested #13 as well. thank you for your prompts, and i hope you enjoy! 💗

TK finds it easy to get lost in the zone when he’s working out.

With his music blasting in his ears, everything around him becomes white noise as he goes through his usual routine. He’s currently trying to increase the amount of pull-ups he can do without feeling that dull ache in his shoulder, in his seemingly ongoing attempt to build up his strength post-injury. It’s been a long process, one that he’s been mentally preparing himself for, but he frowns at himself when he doesn’t quite hit the number he wants before he feels that tweak in his muscle. 

And it’s not like he _means_ to push himself too far. 

It just sort of happens. 

He tries to hide the wince as he drops down to his feet, letting out a breath as he collects himself from the workout. TK initially figures that the ache will go away after a few minutes, but as he goes through the process of downing a bottle of water and showering, the pain’s still there. 

It’s frustrating. TK’s been back at work for close to a month, and he knew _logically_ that he’d probably wouldn’t be able to do everything he used to be able to in the healing process. But he just—he wants to feel normal, again. 

“You okay, kid?” Judd asks, because of course he’s fixing himself a coffee when TK strolls into the kitchen, rubbing at his shoulder. 

TK plasters on a grin, immediately dropping his hand. “Just peachy.” 

Judd rolls his eyes at him, turning back to punching at the buttons on the espresso machine that he has yet to master. TK makes it out of the room before he drops his smile—only for the alarms to suddenly blare throughout the firehouse. He groans before shoving any ounce of residual pain he’s feeling down deep, jogging toward the bay and jumping into action. 

By the time his shift’s up, and he’s strolling up the front walkway to Carlos’ place, it feels like there’s a thick line of tension weighing his shoulders down. 

He knocks twice before stepping into the condo, perking up a little when Carlos shouts a greeting from the other room. TK drops onto the recliner with a long sigh, craning his neck from side to side. He hears footsteps approaching behind him, and is already smiling by the time Carlos’ hands settle on his shoulders. 

“Hey baby,” Carlos murmurs, ducking in close by his ear. 

TK’s smile grows, reaching up with his good arm to curl his fingers around Carlos’ forearm. He doesn’t say anything, letting out a content sigh as Carlos presses a kiss to the crown of his head. 

“You okay?” Carlos asks, coming to sit on the ottoman TK had pushed out of the way to sit when he’d come in. 

He’s looking at him, so TK can’t really lie. He just tries to be as vague as possible as he says, “just a long day.” 

There’s a beat, before Carlos lifts a brow at him. 

“Fine,” TK says, scrubbing a hand down his face. “I might’ve tweaked my shoulder when I was working out.” 

“And then you continued to work with it feeling sore?” Carlos finishes his sentence, concern stitched across his face. “Ty.” 

“I know, I know,” TK grumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose. Carlos knows how hard it is for him, though; he’s always been able to read him like the back of his own hand. He knows that it’s always a culmination of things when it comes to his bad days—the sore shoulder is really just something for him to focus on.

His eyes are squeezed tight and his jaw is clenched, but it’s like the taut string that’s been keeping him on his feet all day is immediately released when he feels Carlos move close and press a long kiss to his forehead. 

His hands are gentle on either side of his face, as he lightly tilts his head up for better access. 

Carlos pulls back before briefly kissing his temple, too, straightening out as he stands. TK tracks his movement, and grabs Carlos’ hand before he goes too far and kisses his knuckles. 

“Thank you,” TK whispers, meeting his boyfriend’s warm gaze. 

“Of course, Ty,” Carlos says, before he lightly pushes TK back into the chair. TK bites at his bottom lip, barely hiding his grin as Carlos moves back to his earlier position behind him, dropping his hands to his shoulders. 

His hands are skilled as always as he manages to massage the tension right out of his muscles, always careful with his bad shoulder. TK feels himself slowly turning to mush as his boyfriend continues on, and by the time most of his pain is gone, he’s aching to kiss his boyfriend properly; to kiss him how he deserves. 

And so he does. Again and again. 


	13. #23: a hug that some might consider as ~too long~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by [@221bsunsettowers](https://221bsunsettowers.tumblr.com/) who said: _I am loving your Tarlos series! My guess is they are all claimed, but just in case, for physical affection, #4, 10, or 23 for Tarlos please? :)_ thank you so much, i went with #23 for this one! i hope you enjoy! 💗

Carlos has to admit that of all the things he’s learned about TK over the past few months they’ve been together, his boyfriend _despising_ mornings doesn’t necessarily surprise him. 

And it might be his favourite thing about him. 

Well—that might be a bit of a stretch. Carlos finds it hard to pinpoint one favourite thing about his boyfriend. It’s his adorable pout when he wants something and his quiet mischief and his adrenaline-junkie ways whenever he’s paired up with Marjan on calls. It’s his loud laugh that bubbles out of him and the way he wears his heart on his sleeve and how tactile he is, always quick to show his affection with soft touches and lingering kisses. 

But TK in the mornings? Yeah, it’s definitely up there. 

Carlos smooths TK’s bedhead back from his forehead as he wakes up at his normal time on his days off: eight in the morning, which his boyfriend often tells him is a mortal sin. He loves waking up to his boyfriend, who has been slowly making himself at home in both Carlos’ heart and his condo. He comes over whenever they’re both off-shift, frequently spending the night so they can hang out as often as they can. There are still nights they spend apart, usually whenever Owen has an early chemo appointment and TK wants to go with him, but they’re together often enough that a routine has begun to develop. 

For instance, he knows that as he gets out of bed now, he’ll probably have an hour until TK comes looking for him and breakfast. On some mornings, he’s able to convince TK to go for a run with him, but Carlos figures that today’s a good a day as any to just stay in. 

He showers and dresses in clothes he wears just to lounge around the house: a well-worn APD shirt he’s had for years and sweats. Carlos is light on his feet as he moves around his kitchen, leaving the TV on in the other room at a low volume so he can occasionally look over and watch the morning news as he preps breakfast. 

As he starts up the coffee machine, he smiles as he hears approaching footsteps. 

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” he says through a smile as he feels arms curl around his waist. 

TK makes an indiscernible noise in response. It sounds a lot like _it’s too early,_ but since it’s grumbled into the space between his shoulder blades, it’s a little too hard to tell. Carlos grins about it either way. 

He continues moving about the kitchen, pouring two mugs of coffee and heating up a pan to make them omelettes. 

“You know, if you wanna eat, you’re going to have to let me go, Ty,” Carlos says, keeping his tone light because if he’s honest, TK letting go of him is the last thing he wants. 

“Not yet,” TK murmurs, nuzzling his face into the nape of Carlos’ neck. When he does pull his arms away a few moments later, Carlos gets his first glimpse of TK: all mussed up hair and crinkly eyes. TK looks at him with a soft smile, the question written across his face. 

“Come here,” Carlos says, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth as he opens his arms. TK grins and shuffles closer, always more eager for physical touch in the mornings. His arms slide around Carlos’ shoulders as Carlos curls his own around TK’s middle, holding him tight. He can feel TK smile against the crook of his neck before he presses a kiss there. 

Time seems to melt around them as they hug, a common occurrence in their relationship. But it starts stretching out into a considerably long embrace, to the point where Carlos has to awkwardly pull one arm back to fumble behind him, turning down the heat on the stovetop. 

“Sweetheart...” Carlos starts, about ready to face the devastating task of pulling out of TK’s hug in exchange of saving their breakfast, when TK burrows closer. 

“Nope,” TK says, tightening his hold. “Gonna hug you forever.” 

He considers it for a moment—to some, might that seem to be too long. Hell, even the minutes they’ve currently spent in this embrace might be considered too long, but to him, Carlos finds it would never be enough time. 

Eventually, he huffs a little laugh, and kisses TK’s hair. “That sounds great, but then we couldn’t do other things.” 

“Oh yeah?” TK asks, pulling his head back enough to look him in the eye, that mischievous glint he loves so much already there in his gaze. Carlos cups his boyfriend’s face, lightly dragging his thumbs against his cheeks. “Like what?” 

“This, for one,” Carlos says, already leaning in to kiss TK. TK smiles into it and curls his fingers into Carlos’ shirt near his ribs, pressing their fronts completely together. 

“Would hate to lose out on doing that,” TK murmurs, brushing their noses before he leans in for another kiss. Carlos laughs against his mouth and kisses him back, before finally pulling back. 

“Come on, I’ll teach you,” Carlos gestures toward the ingredients he has sprawled out over the counter, tugging lightly on TK’s hips. 

It’s been a bit of a tradition, Carlos showing TK simple recipes. His boyfriend’s eyes flash with beloved amusement as he follows Carlos’ lead, and it’s how they spend their morning: sharing kisses sweet with coffee and sugars from the fruit, playfully bumping hips and curling up on the couch when they’re finished breakfast. 

And, Carlos has to admit, it’s kind of perfect. 


	14. #10: lifting someone up out of excitement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompted by two anons who asked for #10! i hope you enjoy! 💗

Carlos still finds himself grappling with the _uncertainty_ of dating a fellow first responder. 

He knows that TK has to deal with the same thing, and it’s a common thread that links them together even more and allows them to be understanding with their support of one another. But the thing is this: after being together for close to six months, Carlos knows that TK is his person, his heart in another body; he’s the person he can tease relentlessly and then in the same breath pour his heart out to. 

To keep it short, Carlos is so head-over-heels in love with TK that it’s sometimes hard to handle. 

And it makes moments like these more nerve-wracking than anything he’s ever experienced. More than that leap he took in moving to the heart of Austin for work, putting an hour’s distance between himself and his family; more than that first day on shift; more than that fateful night at the honky-tonk, where he swallowed down his fear and stepped up to the man with the enchanting green eyes and wide smile. 

No, this is the worst thing he has to face: watching the news in his living room, unable to do anything as images of a raging four-alarm fire in an apartment complex downtown, knowing that his boyfriend is running toward the danger. 

And maybe it’s the fact that he’s finally accepting how deep his feelings run for the other man that’s making him so tense. 

So tries to avoid thinking about it too much. 

As the various ladder-trucks arrive on the scene, sirens wailing, he wonders if the universe is simply messing with him by making it so he’s off shift tonight. Eventually he has to turn the TV off, running his hand through his curls. 

Carlos does everything he can think of to occupy his mind. 

He does dishes, he does laundry, he goes through his fridge. He checks his phone and finds a news alert about the fire and the amount of injured people, and how it’s predicted that it’ll take hours for the scene to be cleared for safety. 

And, sure, Carlos knows that TK’s good at his job. It doesn’t mean that the thought of him running into such a horrible fire scares him any less. 

Several hours pass, and the worrying doesn’t become any easier to handle. Usually he’s on shift with his boyfriend, and even if they aren’t on the same calls he has his own work to busy himself with. But now he’s left to his own wandering thoughts, and it only becomes worse when TK doesn’t answer any texts, even when he’s officially worked three hours overtime. It stretches out to four hours, to _five,_ and Carlos finally worries himself to the point of exhaustion and passes out on the couch. 

He drifts in and out of sleep, his arms hugged around himself. 

When he hears the doorknob rattling, his eyes fly open. His phone doesn’t display any new notifications; he just sees that it’s almost two in the morning, and lets out a small sigh as he drags a hand down his face before getting to his feet. 

The moment his boyfriend steps through the threshold, his heart lurches to his throat. 

“Ty,” he whispers, immediately stepping forward to embrace his boyfriend. TK smiles at him tiredly, dropping his duffel bag as he steps closer. 

He can’t help himself as he curls his arms around TK, using _slightly_ more force than he might’ve intended. 

“Whoa there, big guy,” TK huffs with a laugh, as his feet lift off the ground with the intensity of the hug. His arms slide around his shoulders just the same, though, and when Carlos drops him back down he feels TK’s hands curl against the curve of his jaw. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Carlos says, though TK shakes his head. 

“I’m okay,” TK reassures him, keeping their eye contact strong. “It was a hell of a long night, but we’re good, baby.” 

“I know,” Carlos murmurs, his grip tight against TK’s sides. “I just—I needed to see it to believe it, you know?”

TK leans in and presses their foreheads together. “I know.” 

“Hey,” Carlos says, their noses brushing. “I love you.” 

TK looks dazed for the briefest moments, before a slow smile spreads over his face. “I love you too.” 


	15. #19: peppering their face in kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this officially marks the end of this series! thank you so much for the prompts, kudos and comments!! 
> 
> this one was prompted by [@fudges1](https://fudges1.tumblr.com/) who said: _Love your Tarlos fics! If you still take prompts, number 17 or 19 for Tarlos would be great 😍_ thank you so much! i went with #19 — i hope you enjoy! 💗

TK wakes up with a crick in his neck, sunlight warming his face, and a wetness against the back of his hand that he can’t quite place. 

He cracks one eye open and comes face-to-face with the culprit: Buttercup, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. TK can’t help but to grin as he tiredly reaches over to rub behind the dog’s ears, slowly rolling over to check his phone. He’d gone home with his dad after their shift, too tired to do much of anything but watch some TV and promptly pass out on the couch, and now he barely bites back a stupid grin as he reads the message waiting for him for Carlos: _i’m home, if you wanted to come by_

It’s time-stamped from an hour or so ago, and TK vaguely wonders if he should just let his boyfriend get some sleep from his own exhausting shift. But _then_ he realizes he could go over and they could both just get some sleep, and he figures that’s the ultimate option.

“Come on, boy,” TK whispers, patting the side of his leg as he gets off the couch. Buttercup trots behind him happily, right on his heels as they head for the kitchen, where TK gets him some water and food before taking the stairs up to his room two at a time. 

He changes quickly, into joggers and a hoodie, dipping into the bathroom to brush his teeth and deal with his bedhead the best he can. He passes Buttercup, who is now curled up near the couch, and he crouches and presses a kiss to the top of his head, smoothing a hand down his back. Then he grabs his phone and wallet; he heads out of the house to wait for his Lyft, shooting off a message to his still sleeping father that he’s going to Carlos’. 

And by the time he pulls up to his boyfriend’s condo and thanks the driver, his stomach feels fluttery with excitement. He can’t remember the last time he’s had a relationship where this many months in, he still feels flustered around the other man; if he digs deep, he knows he’s never had anything like this, and that boils down to the amazement that is Carlos Reyes. 

TK digs into his pocket for the key he’s had for a month, quiet as he enters the house and toes off his shoes. He creeps through the living room toward the bedroom, and smiles as he lingers in the doorway—Carlos is curled up in bed, looking content with sleep. He always leaves space for TK in his bed, whether it’s a conscious decision or not, his arm thrown over half of bare mattress that TK usually claims. 

He lightly clears his throat, hating the thought of waking up Carlos when he looks so peaceful but liking the thought of scaring his boyfriend half to death by just sliding into bed next to him even less. Carlos blinks his eyes open and adorably squints at him, and TK almost melts at the sight of his boyfriend’s syrupy smile. 

“Hey, baby,” Carlos’ voice is rough with sleep, and TK doesn’t feel a flash of heat down his spine at that, no sir. 

“Hey,” TK rubs a hand up and down his right arm, before gesturing toward the bed. “May I?” 

“Of course,” Carlos says, patting the mattress next to him. TK slides in next to his boyfriend, feeling settled immediately when Carlos pulls him close and nuzzles into his hair. “Mhm, missed you.” 

TK smiles, and flips around in Carlos’ embrace, settling his weight over his boyfriend with a knee on either side of his body. “I missed you too.” 

“You know, I was thinking,” Carlos says, dragging his thumbs along the sliver of bare skin between TK’s waistband and hoodie, “there’s something we could do about that.” 

“Oh yeah?” TK cocks a brow at him, ducking in close to kiss his boyfriend. “And what would that be?” 

Carlos looks at him with shining, warm eyes—how he always looks at him, really. “Move in with me.” 

TK’s quiet for a moment, staring down at his boyfriend. He looks at him so earnestly, love written across his features in every moment, and TK suddenly realizes that this is something worth jumping in head first for. He doesn’t even stop to think about it, before he whispers, “yeah.” 

“Yeah?” Carlos looks the tiniest bit surprised at the quick response, and TK’s already smiling. 

He nods, and lets out a little laugh. “I want nothing more than to move in with you.” 

“God, I love you,” Carlos murmurs, shaking his head the slightest bit, almost in amazement.

“I love you so much,” TK admits, bordering on breathless. Carlos grins up at him, hands tightening on his hips, and TK’s still smiling as he drops a kiss to his boyfriend’s brow, to the tip of his nose. Even as Carlos continues smiling, TK peppers kisses all over every inch of his face: his smile lines and his hairline and his cheeks. 

Finally though, he kisses his boyfriend how he’s been craving since he saw him last, deep and with everything he has. Carlos’ smiles into the kiss, shoving his hands up and under TK’s hoodie to press his palms to the small of his back, and TK feels like there could be nothing better than this moment, right here. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! comments/kudos are always appreciated <33


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